A recent behind-the-scenes video about how The Witcher 4‘s impressive announcement trailer came together featured footage of the character Ciri sporting a different look–or at least that’s what some fans thought they saw in the footage. The game’s director has now responded, saying the studio has not modified Ciri’s look and attempted to explain why her character model in the behind-the-scenes video may appear to look different from the trailer itself.
“The behind-the-scenes video features the same in-game model of Ciri as seen in the original trailer. We have not modified it,” Sebastian Kalemba said. “What you’re seeing is raw footage–without facial animation, lighting, or virtual camera lenses.”
Kalemba also assured fans that the newly released footage in the behind-the-scenes video represents a “work-in-progress snapshot” of Ciri’s look.
“This variation is a natural part of the game development process. At this point, any character’s appearance may vary depending on the medium–whether it’s in a trailer, a 3D model, or in-game,” he said.
After the original Witcher trilogy focused on Geralt, The Witcher 4 tells its story from the perspective of Ciri. Kalemba previously talked about how Ciri was a “natural choice” for The Witcher 4.
“There’s plenty of room for her and for us, also, to build on top of [her]. There’s so much room for exploration, and because she’s such a nuanced character, the beginning of her journey gives us freedom and so many opportunities to be able to dig in and use [that] for good,” he said.
The Witcher 4 kicks off a new trilogy of Witcher games, which are in development alongside CD Projekt’s other games, including a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and a Witcher remake. The Witcher 4, like CD Projekt’s other games, is being made using Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 following CD Projekt and Epic striking a major development deal.